Stage-Gate

In a stage-gate process, an initiative moves through defined phases such as discovery, business case, development, and launch. Between each phase is a gate where a governance body reviews evidence and decides whether to advance, hold, or kill the effort.

The model dates to the 1980s and brought useful rigor to how organizations vet investments. Its weakness is speed: rigid gates, heavy deliverable checklists, and annual funding cycles struggle to keep up with fast-moving markets. Many organizations are now shifting toward lean portfolio management, which replaces fixed gates with continuous, evidence-based funding.